Single-acting steam engine



July 15, 1930. 5, 5 ALLEY 1,770,381

' smau: 40mm swam ENGINE Filed March so, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOP July 15, 1930. s. E. ALLEY SINGLE ACTING STEAM ENGINE Filed March 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Z xlvvavrmr M 25 engines, pressure has been allowed to occur in Another object of the invention is to pre- Patented 3 11 115 1 930 r g 1 770 381;

ii-"E ST TE-s s'rnrriniv EvAn's ALLEY, or. LO DON, ENGLAND smarts-norms srnAM ENGINE Application filed March 30, 1927, Seria1'NoL 179,694, and in Great Britain April 17, 1926.

This invention relates to single-acting. not applied and reaching through said'cham-v steam engines of the type in which the steam ber,-and diaphragms or covers, one allot-ted is exhausted without being brought into that to each cylinder, which isolate the chamber portion of the engine cylinder. on theside of j from; the cross-head guides and/or. crank s the engine piston remote from the side to case of the engine and each has one of-the whichthe working pressurev is applied.v fT-he piston rods slidin'gthrough it with aftight invention has for one of its objects to'projoint,'the'cyli nders havinginlet and exhaust vide a constructionwhich shall not be subportswhic'h are isolated from the said chamject to certain disadvantages inherent to sinher so as to preclude the delivery of steam 10 gle-acting steam engines as heretofore conunder pressure to the latter. Thus,water will structed. WVith double-acting steam engines be excludedzfrom the crank case, and the bear the cylinder cover through which the piston ings in the latter will be;properlyi lubricated i a rod passes is, of course, packed with a stufling and any: readily obtainable? oil can be embox or thelike-in order to make a tight joint ployedfor thepu rpose. Moreover, therewill with the sliding piston rod, but with somev be nofear of the oil being washed out of the .kinds of single-acting steam engines as hithcrank ease I I I r erto known the working pressure is applied -The said pressure-equalizing chambermav to that face of the piston which is remote from be provided with drainage .means leading the crank case and the'latter is not isolated clear of the cross-head guides and/or crank from the piston; consequently, any leakage case-of therengine. For instance, one or past the piston is apt to passinto the crank more pipes maybe provided leading to the case where it mixes with the oil and so interash pan of the :boiler supplying steam to the feres with the lubrication; of the crankshaft engine. Leakagepast the piston will, in such and other bearings. In other kinds of these an arrangement, be easily determined.

the space between the piston and the crossclude the movement of the cross-heads from head guides, with the result that steam or generating pressure in the cross-head guides water has been forced into the latter, and such as might be liableto force lubricating from there has passed to the crankcase. The oil from the guidesthrough the aforesaid dia- 39 oil, having to be such as to be suitable for phrag'ms orcovers and cause it to be'wasted. lubricating, even though it may be diluted A further object of the invention is to prowith water, has to be of a nature which will vide a stuffingbo'x or a floating sleeve of imnot saponify; such oil is not always easily obproved construction through which the pistainable. Furthermore, when,owingto wear, ton rod slides at a diaphragm. I the leakage to the crank case assumes rath-, Yet another object is to so construct the er large proportions an overflow from the slee've that it will serve to collect oil from crank case takes place washing away some of the surface of the piston rodand retain it the lubricating oil. v a for redistribution thereon, thereby avoid- According to the present invention there 'ing such oil being allowed to drain away with i is provided a single-acting steam engine of any leakage of steam or waterwln h fi y QCr 9 the type above described, which comprises our past the P1313011. I in combination a plurality of cylinders, cross- For a more complete UIldQIfStfillCllIlg Ofth head guides and or a crank case so connected invention, there Wlll now be described, .by to the cylinders as to form a pressure-equalway of example only and with reference to izing chamber that is located between them the accompany ng drawings, one c'onstrucand thecylinders and has an outlet for draintional form of verticaljst eam engine accordage, with which chamber the open end of each ing to the invention. It 1S to be understood, cylinder is in free communication, a piston however, that the invention isnot-limited'to in each cylinder, a piston rod extending. from the 'PI6C1S6 constructional details set forth, I 50 that face of each piston to which pressure is nor to vertical-engines; f i 9 In these drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail section, on a scale larger than that of the preceding figures, showing means: for making. a tight joint between the piston-rod and the diaphragmotcover; and

Figure 4 is a View, similar to Figure .3,.of.

a modified construction. Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Engines according to thepresent invention are particularly suitable for use on road or rail vehicles, but are also suitable for other purposes. Theconstructional form of engineshown has four vertical cylinders 10, 11, 12,13 respectively, which are arranged side-by side in a single row with the cross head guides 14:, 15, 16 and 17 and the crank case 18 below them, the lower ends of the cylinders beingfully open. The cross-head guides are cylindrical and their upper ends are closed by diaphragms or covers 19. The piston rods20 pass through these diaphragms 19 and carry above them'the. pistons 21 and below .them the cross-heads222. As will be seen, particularlyfrom Figure 1,the spaces above the diaphragm 19 for each-cylinder are inter-connected, constituting the aforesaid pressure-equalizing chamber, in which the contents merely surge about but are not-subiected to pressure. At each end of-the chamber a drainage pipe 23 is provided which may conveniently be arranged'to 'lead'to the ash pan of the boiler supplying steam tothe engine. Just below. the diaphragms 19 the guides 14: and 15 are connectedzby a conduit 41, and the guides 16 and 17 by a similar conduit 42. The. pistons in the cylinders 10 and 11 are shownin their middle positions, but are oppositely timed, that is to say, when the one is at the upper end of its stroke the other is at the lower end of its stroke; similarly the pistons in the cylinders 12 and 13 are oppositely-timed. Consequently the corresponding cross-heads are oppositely timed. It-therefore follows that. the pressure in the inter-connected guides will be equalized and the pumping action of the cross-heads, which is not completely obviated by the perforations 43 in them, will thus merely cause the contentsof the guides to surge about and will not tend to force lubricating oil from the guides past the diaphragms 19. The crank case 18, in addition to enclosing and providing bearings for the crank shaft 24, also en-- closesand carries two cam shafts25, 26 which operate. the rods 27 and- 28 forpoppetv valves 29:.and 30 located at: the upper end ofthe cylinders, there being preferably an inlet and exhaustfvalve foreaoh cylinder. It willbe appreciated ithat thew-alve ports are,- isolated from the pressure-equalizing; chamberso calor like end33 of a floating sleeve ing 38, being that the steam is exhausted without being brought into the said chamber.

One construction of the diaphragms 19 is shown clearly in Figure 3, and it will be seen that the diaphragm is formed with a hollow central portion 31 which surrounds the piston roch 20 and is provided with a seating 32 whereof the upper surface is shaped to correspond with the lower surface of the spheri- 3 This sleeve is a "sliding fit on the piston rod and .it is intended to rock with the latter and/or slide across the axis of the piston to accommodate irregularities in the path of the piston rod. Clearance is allowed between the :pistonrod and the members 31 and for this purpose, and'likewise an end closure 35, which forms an abutment for a spring 36, is spaced away from the outer surface of the sleeve 34c. The seating 32 is also shown as having freedom for movement across the axis ofth piston rod and can thus follow the rod should. the latter be out of alignment. The spring 36 tends to keep the sleeve and seating 32 closely pressed together and thus to prevent leakage past the diaphragm 19. Consequently, any steam or water which passes the engine piston will way into the cross-head guides 14,15, 16 and 17. or the crank case 18.

The upper end of the sleeve 34 is chamfered at 37 to form an annular cup around the piston rod, the angle .of the chamber being, say, l5 degrees. This cup receives from the piston rod any excess oil which it may carry from the crank case and retainssuch oil, permitting it to be carried away again bythe piston rod but precluding it from flowing away through the drainage conduits 23. It will be seen that the upper ends of the sleeves 34 are located-above thedraina-ge outlets.

Figure l-shows a modified arrangement of they part-sinside the diaphragm 19 which usefully be employed in some circumstances. The seating 381s similar to the aforesaid seatintermediate of its endswhich has a spherical or like upper surface to bear against the seatprcssed thereagainst by the spring 36.v That surface of the sleeve 3-; which bears against the piston rod is pro vided-with one or more circumferential oilcollecting grooves 40, three being shown in the drawing. These grooves 40 communicate by suitable conduits with the interior of the portion 31 of the diaphragm 19 which is in communication with the interiorof the crosshead guides. The grooves -10 serve to skim surplus ,oil from the piston rod and prevent it from passing. up into the-steam space.

From the foregoing. it will be understood that the steam is admitted to and exhausted from the upper faces of the pistons during not be permitted to find its the normalworking of the engine,

H am aa such leakage past the pistons asoccurs will be drained ofl through the conduits 23 without interfering Withthe lubrication of thework-j ing parts situated below the engine cylinders.

-Moreover, any undue leakage will readily be observedand leakage of oilby way of the pis-' ton rods will be reduced to thepracticable minimum. Furthermore, leakage of oil fromthe cross-head guides is also prevented; It is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the precise constructional do 7 tails set forth,

Iclaimr- 1. A single-acting steam engine of the type described, comprisingin combination a pluto the cross-head guides,

one allotted to each cylinder, Which isolate the chamber from the cross-head' guides of cylindershaving inletand exhaust the said chamber so as to precludethe delivery of steam under rality of cylinders, cross-heads'guides, a pressure equalizing chamber located between the:

cross-head guides and the cylinders and hav-- ing an outlet for drainage, with which chamher the open endofeach cylinder is in free communication,;a piston in eachcylinder, piston rods extending. through said chamber a rhr gma the. engine and have'each one of the piston rods sliding through it with "ports which are isolated from I pressure to't-helatter,

2. A single-acting steam engine of the type described, comprising in combinat ona plurality of cylinders, cross-head guides, a crank case, a pressure equalizing chamber located 7 guides,

ders, and

of each cylinder 1S'1I]. tree commun cat on, a

the cylinders between thecross-head guides and the cylin with which chamber the open end drainage conduit leading from the chamber,

a piston in each cylinder, piston rods-extending through said chamber to the cross-head and covers, one'allotted to each cylin der, which isolate the. chamber from the crosshead guides and crai k case oftheengine and have each a stufiing box'throughwhich one of vthe piston rods, slides with a tight joint, having inlet and exhaust ports which are isolated from the said chamber so as to precludethe delivery of steam inder pressure tov the latter.

3. A single-acting steam engine of the type described, comprising in combination aplusure equalizing chamber located between the cross-head guides and the enginec'ylinders rality of working cylinders, cross-head guidj ing, cylinders, cross-heads which are closely receivedin the said guiding cylinders,ia res;

and having an outlet for drainage, with which chamber the opjenend'of each enginecylin- 'der is in free communicatioma piston ineach engine cylinder, piston rods extending through said chamber and connecting the p stons and cross-heads,"diaphragms, one allotted to each engine cylinder,

which isolate inders'having inlet 7 are isolated from the first mentioned pressure 7 a tight joint, the p andpressure equalizing means extending int the chamber from the cross-head guides of theengine and have each one of the piston rods sliding through it with a tight joint, and pressure equalizing means communicating with the'interior of the cross head guiding cylinders at positions between the said diaphragms and the cross-heads, the engine cyland exhaust ports" which equalizing chamber so as topreclude the de-' livery of steam under, pressure to theilatter;

I i. A single-acting steam engine of tlietype described,comprising combination a plue rality of working cylinders, cross-head guiding cylinders, cross-heads which are closely received in the said guiding cylinders, a pressure equalizing chamber located betweenthe cross-head guides and the engine cylinders and having an outlet for drainage, with which chamber the open end of each engine cylinder is in free communication, a piston in each engine cylinder, 7 piston rods "extending through said. chamber and connecting the pistons to the cross-heads,,diaphragms, one

allotted to each engine cylinder,,whichiso--- late the chamber from the cross-head guides of the engine and have eachone'of the piston rods sliding through itv with a tight joint,

ing the interiorsof two cross-head guiding cylinders, sitely timed, said- Ineansbeing disposed b'e tween the said diaphragms and the crossheads, the engine cylinders having inlet and I exhaust ports which are isolated from the first 'mentioned pressure-equalizing chamber so as inter-connectwherein the cross-heads are oppor to preclude the delivery of steam under pres- 7 sure to the latter. r

5. A single-acting steam engine comprising a plurality of engine cylinders, oross head guiding cylinders, across-head closelyreceived in each cross-head guiding cylinder, a piston in each engine cylihdenfpisto'n rods o the cross-head guiding cylinders and connecting the pistons and cross heads, diaphragm isolating the engine cylinders from the cross-head guiding, cylinders, theengine cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports which are isolated from the said dia- -means applied tothecross-head guiding cylinders between the cross-heads and the diaphragms to prevent substantial. rise of pres sure therein. A a I s 4 v 6;. A single-acting steam engine comprising in combination aplurality of cylinders,

cross-head gurdesfa cross-head receivediin each guide, a piston ineach cylinder, piston rods extendingintothe :cross-head guides, diaphragmsisolatin'g' the? cylinders from the corres ondin aiston rod slides with cross-head guides and'each having a stuamg sphericalportion, which seating and seating together.

v gether.

boxthrough which the correspor on red slides with'a tight joint, the c V 1a;- inginlet and exhaust portswvhich iso lated fronrthe diaphra ms so a, o preclude the delivery of steam under p ssure to thelatter, a pressure equalizing hamher between the diaphragms and the pistons to prevent substantialrisc of press chamber having an outlet for drain ge, each said stuihing box comprising a sleeve closelysurrounding the piston rod and formed with a spherical portion, a seati said is iituated the piston View in the diaphragm and surrounds rod but is spaced away from the surface of the latter, and which seat-inn" shaped to- .correspond with the shape of the spherical portion-of the sleeve so that the latter can rock initwhile retaining close contact with 1t, and resilient means pressing the sleeve 7. A single-acting steam engine com; ingin combination a olur Y cross-head guides, a cross-l We each guide,.a piston in each cynnuer, piston rods extending into the cross-head gm' diaphragms isolating the cylinders from cross-head guides and each having a box through which the corresponoing niston rod slides with atight joint, ders having inlet and exhaust po which are isolated from the said diaphragms 10 to preclude the delivery of steam under pressureto the latter, and a chamber inteii nedi ate theediaphragms and the pistons to pre vent substantial rise of pressure due to piston movement, said chamber having an out let for drainage, each said stufing box comprising a sleeve closely surrounding the piston rod and formed with a spherical portion, a seating for said spherical portion, which seating is situated in the diaphragm with freedom for movement across the axis of the piston rod and surrounds the latter but is spaced away from .its surface, and which seating is shaped to correspond with the shape of the spherical portion of the sleeve so that the latter can .rock in it while re taining close contact with it, and resilient means pressing, the sleeve and seating tophragms so as to preclude the delivery of steam under pressure to the latter, a chamber intermediate the diaphragms and the pistons and communicating with said cylinders to prevent substantial rise of pressure due to piston movement, said chamber having an outlet for drainage, each said stutiiing boz; comprising a sleeve closely surrounding the piston rod and projecting upwardly towards the piston above the face of the diaphragm and recessed to form an annular cup surrounding the piston rod, said sleeve being also formed with a spherical portion, a seating for said spherical portion, which seating is situated in the diaphragm and surrounds the piston rod but is spaced away from the surface of the latter, and which seating is shaped to correspond with the shape of the spherical portion of the sleeve so that the latter can rock in it while retaining close contact with it, and resilient means pressing the sleeve. and seating together.

9. .A vertical single acting steam engine of the type-described, comprising in combination a plurality of cylinders, cross-head guides, said guides and the cylinders being spaced to form a pressure equalizing chamoer communicatingwith the open end of each cylinder, a drainage conduit leading from the chamber, a piston in each cylinder,

piston rods extending through said chamber 9 to the cross-head guides, and diaphragm's, one allotted to each cylinder, which isolate the chamber from the cross-head guides and each having a stufling box through which one of the piston rods slides with a tight joint, the cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports which are isolated from the said chamber so as to preclude the delivery of steam under pressure to the latter, said stufling boxes each comprising a sleeve closely surrounding the piston rod and projecting upwardly towards the piston above the face of the diaphragm and recessed to form an annular cup surrounding the piston rod at a level above the aforesaid, drainage conduit, said sleeve being also formed with a spherical portion, a seating for said spherical portion, which seating is situated in the diaphragm and surrounds the piston rod but is spaced away from the surface of the latter, and which seating is shaped to correspond with the shape of the spherical portion of the sleeve box through which the corresponding piston rod slides with a tight joint, drainage means, leading from the space between the 1 diaphragms and the pistons, the" cylindershaving inlet and exhaust ports which are isolated from the diaphragms so as topreclude the delivery of steam under pressure to the sleeve closely surrounding the piston rod,

that surface of the sleeve which bears against the rod being prov ded. with a circumferentialoil-collecting groove having communication with the space on that side of the diaphragm which isremote from the piston to return to such space any oil collected by s the groove, and said sleeve being also formed with a spherical portion, a seating for said; spherical portion, which seating is, situated in the diaphragm and surrounds the piston rod but is spaced away from the surfaceof the latter, and which seating is shaped to correspond with a shape of the spherical pore tion of the sleeve so'that thel'atter can rock in it while retaining close contact with it, and

resilient means pressing the sleeve andlseating together.

11. In a single-acting steam engine, the combination with a plurality of cylinders, of

pistons within said cylinders, a crank case, r and a chamber intermediate said pistons and crank case, sald chamber being 1n free communication with the open ends of said cylinders, having a wall serving to isolate the chamber from the crank case, and having a drainage outlet, andpiston rods secured to the pistons and extending through the chamher into the crank case, said wall being pro-. 7 vided with a fluid-tight guide for each piston rod, said cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports which are isolatedfrom said' chamber to preclude the delivery ofsteam under pressure to the latter.

12. Ina single-acting steam engine, the v I combination with a pluralityof cylinders, of v pistons within said cylinclers, a' crank case,

and a chamberintermediate said pistons and crank case, said chamber being in free communication with the open ends 0i said cylinders, and having a drainage outlet, piston rods secured to thepistons and extending" through said chamber into the crankcase, and means for preventing passage of'fluid from said chamber into said crank case, said cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports which are isolated from said chamber to preclude the delivery of steam underpressure to the latter. I r

13. In a single-acting steam'engine, the I combmatlon with a plurality of cylinders, of

pistons within said cylinders, a crank case, and a chamber intermediate said pistons and crank case, said chamber being in free communication with the open ends of said cylinders, and having a drainage outlet, piston rods secured to the pistons and extending through said chamber into the crank case,

means for preventing passage offluid from i said chamber into said crank case, said cylindershaving inlet and exhaust ports which from said chamber to preclude of steam underpressure tothe ding fromthe cham- .;are isolated the delivery latter, and a conduit lea latter, each said stufling box comprising a b whereof I afiix my slgnature. HENEVANS ALLEY. 

